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Nobel Prize Winners
"The Dalai Lama"
by Lisa DeWitt
|
The Dalai Lama
Tibetan Buddhist monk, monarch, and religious leader
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for advocating
"peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and
mutual
respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural
heritage of his people.
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama
says of himself, "I am a simple Buddhist monk,
no more, no less." But to the people of Tibet,
he is their monarch and religious leader. The title,
"Dalai Lama" means "Ocean of Wisdom."
The followers of Buddha believe he is the reincarnation
of the first "Buddha of Mercy," who appeared
in 1391 and whose purpose was and continues to be
to protect all living beings. When one Dalai Lama
dies another is born to continue to help mankind.
To the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama represents the Tibetan
way of life.
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama was born on June 6, 1935,
in the small farming village of Taktser, Tibet. Taktser
is about 9,000 feet above the sea, and the people
grow wheat and barley. The Dalai Lama was born into
a large family and lived as a farmer's son until he
was four years old.
The Thirteenth Dalai Lama died in 1933, and the search
began for the Fourteenth. The Lamaist monks searched
the many towns and villages of Tibet. They came to
Taktser, and after passing several tests the two-year-old
son of a farmer was recognized as the Fourteenth Dalai
Lama. At the age of four-and-a-half, he was formally
recognized and he sat on the Lion Throne in the holy
city of Lhasa as the ruler of Tibet. The young Dalai
Lama was educated in the thousand-room Potala Palace
overlooking Lhasa. His family did not live in the
Palace with him; they lived in a house near the Palace,
and he visited them at least once a month.
In 1950, when the Dalai Lama was fifteen, the Chinese
Communist armies of Mao Tse-Tung invaded Tibet. The
Communists claimed that Tibet was part of China. The
Tibetans, however, claimed that racially, culturally,
and geographically they were a separate country. In
1959, the Dalai Lama went into exile in India. The
Chinese Communist domination continues today, and
the Tibetans continue to suffer. The Dalai Lama says:
| I would dare say that no people
have suffered more since the Second World War;
and their sufferings have not ended, they are
continuing every day, and they will continue until
the Chinese leave our country, or until Tibetans
have ceased to exist as a race or as a religious
community. |
The Dalai Lama has tried
for over thirty years to keep the world interested
in the cause of Tibet's independence, even though
he continues to live in exile in India. In 1989,
the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
for advocating "peaceful solutions based
upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to
preserve the historical and cultural heritage
of his people."
Honoring the Dalai Lama can be seen as the world's
support for Tibetan freedom. The Dalai Lama himself
has expressed his hope in this way: |
| My hope rests in the courage
of the Tibetans, and the love of truth and justice
which is still in the heart of the human race;
and my faith is in the compassion of Lord Buddha. |
See below for Listening Exercise 5.
Copyright ©1991
by Lisa DeWitt
Published by Pro Lingua Associates
Brattleboro, VT USA 800-366-4775
| |
Listening Exercise
5
The
Dalai Lama
|
| Key
Words: |
|
| New |
Old |
| protect |
religion |
| search,
searched |
leader |
| claimed |
die |
| racially,
race |
born |
| exile |
mankind |
| cause |
recognize |
| honoring |
educate |
| support |
suffer |
| expressed |
award |
| |
peace |
| |
prize |
| |
advocate |
| |
free |
| |
courage |
| |
human |
| |
compassion |
Cloze exercises below
The Dalai Lama
The Fourteenth Dalai
Lama says of himself, "I am a simple Buddhist
monk, no more, no less." But to the people
of Tibet, he is their monarch and _____________
_____________. The title, "Dalai Lama"
means "Ocean of Wisdom." The followers
of Buddha believe he is the reincarnation of
the first "Buddha of Mercy," who appeared
in 1391 and whose purpose was and continues
to be to _____________ all living beings. When
one Dalai Lama _____________ another is _____________to
continue to help _____________. To the Tibetans,
the Dalai Lama represents the Tibetan way of
life.
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama was _____________
on June 6, 1935, in the small farming village
of Taktser, Tibet. Taktser is about 9,000 feet
above the sea, and the people grow wheat and
barley. The Dalai Lama was _____________ into
a large family and lived as a farmer's son until
he was four years old.
The Thirteenth Dalai Lama _____________ in 1933,
and the _____________ began for the Fourteenth.
The Lamaist monks _____________ the many towns
and villages of Tibet. They came to Taktser,
and after passing several tests the two-year-old
son of a farmer was _____________ as the Fourteenth
Dalai Lama. At the age of four-and-a-half, he
was formally _____________ and he sat on the
Lion Throne in the holy city of Lhasa as the
ruler of Tibet. The young Dalai Lama was _____________
in the thousand-room Potala Palace overlooking
Lhasa. His family did not live in the Palace
with him; they lived in a house near the Palace,
and he visited them at least once a month.
In 1950, when the Dalai Lama was fifteen, the
Chinese Communist armies of Mao Tse-Tung invaded
Tibet. The Communists _____________that Tibet
was part of China. The Tibetans, however, _____________
that _____________, culturally, and geographically
they were a separate country. In 1959, the Dalai
Lama went into _____________ in India. The Chinese
Communist domination continues today, and the
Tibetans continue to _____________. The Dalai
Lama says: |
| I would dare say that no
people have _____________ more since the Second
World War; and their _____________ have not
ended, they are continuing every day, and they
will continue until the Chinese leave our country,
or until Tibetans have ceased to exist as a
_____________ or as a _____________ community. |
The Dalai Lama has
tried for over thirty years to keep the world
interested in the_____________of Tibet's independence,
even though he continues to live in _____________in
India. In 1989, the Dalai Lama was _____________
the Nobel Peace _____________ for _____________
"_____________ solutions based upon tolerance
and mutual respect in order to preserve the
historical and cultural heritage of his people."
_____________ the Dalai Lama can be seen as
the world's _____________ for Tibetan _____________.
The Dalai Lama himself has _____________ his
hope in this way: |
| My hope rests in the _____________of
the Tibetans, and the love of truth and _____________
which is still in the heart of the _____________
_____________; and my faith is in the _____________
of Lord Buddha. |
Copyright ©1991 by Lisa DeWitt
Published by Pro Lingua Associates
Brattleboro, VT USA 800-366-4775
|
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Lingua Associates ESL/EFL Book Publishers
P.O. Box 1348, Brattleboro, Vermont, 05302-1348
USA
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